KOLKATA: Peerless Hospital will shut down for at least a week from Tuesday after several of its physicians, nursing staff and health professionals tested positive for Covid-19. Sanitization has started at the hospital, which plans to resume operations after setting up two Covid wards that can accommodate at least 30 patients. At present, the hospital has a 20-bed Covid unit.
A statement issued by Peerless MD Sujit Kar Purkayastha on Tuesday cited “a great deal of panic amongst patients, health professionals, as well as the surrounding community, which has been reflected by the gross absenteeism, dissatisfaction and uncertainty in them” as the reason behind the shutdown. However, it added the hospital will continue to run its maternity, dialysis, laboratory, radiology and chemotherapy services.
So far, 11 doctors and nurses from Peerless have tested positive. As many as 70 nursing staffers and three doctors are now quarantined. Medical superintendent Sudipto Mitra reiterated that it had become difficult to continue services in such an “environment of fear”. “With so many healthcare workers testing positive and scores being quarantined, it has become difficult to operate without involving a high degree of risk to our patients. We will sanitize our hospital in stages and the process has started on Monday,” he said.
He added that the hospital needed more Covid beds to check transmission. “We will probably have two separate units with 30 beds in all. We will resume services soon, but will take no chances with the safety norms. So, it may take longer,” Mitra added.
The process to add the wards has begun. Instruments are being brought and facilities, like a new central AC system and negative pressure for the new wards, are being put in place.
Hospital officials, however, said it may take longer than usual for the wards to be set up since transportation of equipment has been delayed due to the lockdown.
A statement issued by Peerless MD Sujit Kar Purkayastha on Tuesday cited “a great deal of panic amongst patients, health professionals, as well as the surrounding community, which has been reflected by the gross absenteeism, dissatisfaction and uncertainty in them” as the reason behind the shutdown. However, it added the hospital will continue to run its maternity, dialysis, laboratory, radiology and chemotherapy services.
So far, 11 doctors and nurses from Peerless have tested positive. As many as 70 nursing staffers and three doctors are now quarantined. Medical superintendent Sudipto Mitra reiterated that it had become difficult to continue services in such an “environment of fear”. “With so many healthcare workers testing positive and scores being quarantined, it has become difficult to operate without involving a high degree of risk to our patients. We will sanitize our hospital in stages and the process has started on Monday,” he said.
He added that the hospital needed more Covid beds to check transmission. “We will probably have two separate units with 30 beds in all. We will resume services soon, but will take no chances with the safety norms. So, it may take longer,” Mitra added.
The process to add the wards has begun. Instruments are being brought and facilities, like a new central AC system and negative pressure for the new wards, are being put in place.
Hospital officials, however, said it may take longer than usual for the wards to be set up since transportation of equipment has been delayed due to the lockdown.
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